Sources at Interior Ministry fire back at foreign minister´s
criticism of migrants´ deportation, say ´Lieberman is preventing
deportation of Eritreans; should be the last person to comment on
foreign affairs´

Ministers continue to lock horns – Sources in Interior Minister Eli
Yishai´s bureau leveled scathing criticism Monday evening at Foreign
Minister Avigdor Lieberman, after the latter accused him of creating
a media "festival" around the deportation of South Sudanese migrants.

"Lieberman´s term in office as foreign minister is one of the worst
in the history of Israeli diplomacy and the number of official visits
he made to the United States can attest to that," said the sources,
adding that Lieberman "is the last person to lecture on matters of
foreign affairs and diplomacy."

The sources noted that Lieberman´s reaction to the deportation
campaign, which he claimed was damaging to the Foreign
Ministry, "Indicates of the heavy pressure he is under, while the
only one acting on the matter is the interior minister."

The sources further added that "the Foreign Ministry was the one
preventing the deportation of Eritrean infiltrators back to their
country."

Earlier on Monday, Lieberman slammed Yishai´s handling of the
deportation of 127 South Sudanese migrants, saying "it´s been a while
since I have seen such damaging chatter surrounding the festival we
witnessed yesterday.

The foreign minister also accused his colleague of trying to score
political points. "I heard someone spoke about Israel´s national
interest. There are many who sacrifice the national interest for the
momentary interest of this or that party," Lieberman said tongue in
cheek, adding that he cannot recall such "outcry coming from Israel´s
friends, including the United States, such as in this case."